It’s been a tradition for Nevada Newsmakers statewide TV program to tape the shows in Carson City during the last two months of the Legislature.

Host Sam Shad and I (the sidekick) opened those shows this morning in the Capitol annex.

The first guest was Senate Majority Leader Mo Denis, D-Las Vegas.

Here's some of his comments from the 7 a.m. taping:

EDUCATION BOSSES: Denis doesn’t see the state or the Clark County School District going out-of-state to fill the two sudden and surprising resignations of state school superintendent Jim Guthrie or Clark's former Chief Dwight Jones.

“I just think it is too late at this point,” Denis said. “If you are going to bring someone new in, there are just too many nuances to try to understand Nevada. So I think that the folks who are there, ready to go, I think they will be able to do what we need to get it done.”

“MEANINGFUL’ GUN LEGISLATION: “It depends on the definition of meaningful … “I think one of the things that most people are considering are the background checks. I was just speaking to somebody last night, a gun advocate who doesn’t necessarily want to see the control of what types of weapons, but they all agree that at least these background checks are important… I think there are some common interests there that we could work on.”

WHY ONLINE POKER BILL WAS PASSED IN LESS THAN A DAY: “That was an issue that was really important to Nevada. Our No. 1 economic stimulus is gaming and making sure we stay at the forefront is important to all of us for our economic success. That is the reason (bill was passed in one day) … What it did, I think, it told the world that this is a very important issue for us and we want to stay at for forefront. More than anything, that’s why we did that.”

GENTING’S PURCHASE OF UNFINISHED ECHELON PROJECT ON LV STRIP: Sometimes when they (TV media) talk about the (downturn in the) economy in Las Vegas, they always show that skeleton of the Echelon. I used to work near there and I would see it every day. And at least in my mind, I’d say that when I’d see something start up on that again, it will be a very good indicator that things are starting to turn around for us.”

SANDOVAL’S NO NEW TAXES STANCE: (This is a question I asked Denis after the TV taping) “At the end of day we are all trying to do what is best for Nevada … I think he (Sandoval) is pragmatic … I just don’t see him as being like those we’ve had in the past, where someone will say “no-new-taxes, and no matter what compelling reasons you give someone, they are not going to change. I think it is important that if we really want to do what is best for Nevada, we have to keep all of our options open and keep the dialogue going and I think that is what is happening now.”

About this blog

Ray Hagar is the political reporter for the Reno Gazette-Journal and a fifth-generation Nevadan. Hagar is also a co-host for the Nevada Newsmakers statewide television program. He is the co-author of "Johnson-Jeffries: Dateline Reno," a book about the 1910 "Fight of the Century" in Reno that pitted black world champion Jack Johnson against the "Great White Hope," Jim Jeffries